Stocking and method of manufacturing the same



(No Model.)

AIKEN.

STOCKING AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THHSAMB.

No. 255.753 Patented Apr. 4,1882

I N. FETERS Phalo-Lhimgnpher. Wahinglnm D, Q

is a specification.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER AIKEN, OF FRANKLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

STOCKING AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,753, dated April 4, 1882. Application filed January 14, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER AIKEN, of Franklin, Merrimack county, State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement in Stockings and Methods of Manufacturing the Same, of which the following description, in, accompanying drawings,

connection with the My improved stockingis composed of a flat strip or web of knitted fabric having two pouches or protuberances at proper distances apart to produce a heel and toe for the stocking, the said strip or web being folded upon itself at the toe pouch or protuberance, and having its edges seamed together from near the toe along each side the foot and up along each side the leg to the top of the stocking.

In the manufacture of stockings in accordance with my method I commence by knitting a web of proper width to form the front of the leg and top ofthe foot. Then by a narrowing and widening process I form a pouch, bulge, or protuberance fora toe. Then I knit a flat web to serve forthe bottom of the foot. Then I form v a second pouch, bulge, or protuberance to serve for the heel, by a narrowing and widening process, as before, and then I continue the formation of a flat web of the length desired for the back of the leg from the heel to the top ofthe stocking. Preferably this flat web knitted for the back of the stocking will be widened for a part of its length to thus fashion the leg, and after this the edges of the strip or web so produced are brought together and seamed from the toe, forming protuberance to the top of the stocking, making a long seam from the toe each side ofthe foot and up each side of the leg.

Figure lot the drawings represents a knitted web of proper length and shape to produce a stockin gin accordance with myinvention; Fig. 2, an edge view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents in side elevation a stocking composed of a knitted web such as shown when folded at the toe-formin g protuberance and seamed along its edges. Fig. 4 is a diagram to aid in explaining the formation of the heel and toe forming parts of the web. In this diagram the narrowed and widened parts for the toe and heel are laid out flat; but in practice, as will be hereinafter described, it will be understood stocking, and to that the narrowed and widened parts for the heel and toe will be united in the knitting by the yarn used to make the said too and heel parts, and will form pouches or bulges, as in Figs. 1 and 2.

To knit a stocking in accordance with my invention,I set up on a machine having a proper number of needles a web of a width suitable for the front of the leg of the stockin g, and Iknit a portion, (1, preferably of uniform width, long enough for the frontof theleg and top of the foot. Then 1 narrow the web from the point 2 to the point 3 by gradually retaining back out of action the selvage-needles until the web is of the width indicated at 3, and thereafter, at each course, the said needles so held back during narrowing are gradually thrown out to knit, their order of coming again into action being the reverse of the order in which they were withdrawn for narrowing, and, finally, when all the needles employed for the web'part a are again in action, the web a being then as at 4, the toe-pouch if having been made, I continue to knit a plain flat web, as at f, of sufficient length to form the bottom of the foot. I then again narrow and widen the web, as just described, and 'form the heel pouch or bulge h, and at the point-7 the web is again knitted, as at l, of a width substantially equal to the width of the web atf and a.

If the stocking is not to be fashioned in the leg, the part lwill be knitted of uniform width for a sufficient distance to form the ankle and the rear side of the leg of the stocking to its top. I, however, prefer to make a fashioned provide for this I employ a knitting-machine having in it a. sufficient number of needles to knit the widest course desired for the back of the stocking at its widest part, and, when starting the front of the leg, I set up loops on only such number of said needles as are needed to make the web for the front of the leg and the top and bottom of the foot of the desired width, and after the completion of the heel pouch, bulge, or protuberance, and the formation of the ankle, I gradually throw into action, from the edge of the fabric already knit outward, the needles up to that time inactive, and cause them to knit, thus gradually widening and fashioning the web to make a fashioned back or leg for the stocking, such widening of the web for the back of the stocking being indicated between the lines 9 and 10, Fig. 1. After having produced a web such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I fold the same at the center of or in line with the toe pouch or bulge, place the selvage edges of part a in contact with the selvage edges of parts fand l, and seam or loop the said edges together, as commonly done in knitted work by hand or machinery, forminga seam along each side of the stocking, as shown in Fig. 3, from the toe of the stocking to its top.

The web for the stocking, if not to he fash ioned, may be commenced equally well at the end of the piece to form the back as from the endof the piece to form the front of the leg. The web for the back of the stocking might first be commenced, be knit of uniform width, and the web for the frontot' the leg be widened and fashioned.

I do not broadly claim a stocking the foot of which is formed from a web having a heel and toe pouch, and having a seamless tubular leg upon which the foot is knit or secured.

I claim- 1. A stocking having bulges or pouches for leg, then turning the said web back on itself at the toe-pouch, and unitingthe same together at its edges from the toe-pouch along each side of the foot and heel to the top of the stocking,

as shown and described.

3. A stocking having bulges or pouches to form a heel and toe, and fashioned in the leg as described, and having seams from the toe bulge along each side the foot and leg tothe top of the leg, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER AIKEN.

Witnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, B. J. NoYEs. 

